These 3D models were created by Anthony Barbieri from digital photography conducted at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in 2008. First the objects are placed in front of a special background, and photographed on a turntable printed with a pattern of dots. The photos are then edited in Photoshop to remove the background and base. In a program called 3D SOM (below, right), the different profiles are then combined to create a 3D model, to which a color texture is applied. Finally, the models are exported into flash viewers for use on the web or in presentations.
These models are used in Prof. Barbieri’s lectures, and have been used to created a virtual museum, utilizing video-game engine technology (Unity) as part of his fellowship at the Getty Research Institute in 2011.